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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29128188">Save Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/VengeanceAngel/pseuds/VengeanceAngel'>VengeanceAngel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Writer's Block 101 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cobra Kai (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Daniel LaRusso has a crush, If You Squint - Freeform, Johnny Lawrence needs a hug, Kreese is batshit crazy, M/M, Non-sexual making out?, One-Sided Attraction, Past Sexual Abuse, Possibly Pre-Slash, Protective Daniel LaRusso, Sleeping Together (Literally), Very minor reference to it</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:14:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,303</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29128188</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/VengeanceAngel/pseuds/VengeanceAngel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Daniel helps a very distressed and delirious Johnny when he finds him in their dojo. </p><p>TW: A very brief and mild reference to past sexual abuse. It's VERY glossed over in a responsible way for this story.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Daniel LaRusso/Johnny Lawrence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Writer's Block 101 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137365</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Save Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>When I really want to write, but only have enough brain power for a one-shot... it will be part of this series.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Daniel stretches as he heads up to the dojo. While he doesn’t tend to spend the night there usually, it’s been a rough few months with the divorce and handling the questions from the kids. He’d been more than happy to give up the house and had stayed in a hotel, but tonight, he made the decision to move into Mr. Miyagi’s house. Using it as a dojo would continue, but there’s a part of him that needs to be in the familiar space where he feels happy and powerful. </p><p>He pauses when he sees the door is slightly ajar. He carefully puts his bag on the ground and prepares himself for a fight. He opens the door slowly and looks around before his eyes land on a figure curled up on the floor. In the dim light, he can barely make out the rise and fall of the other person’s sides and back, showing that the person is, at the very least, not a corpse. </p><p>He reaches over and turns on the light, bathing the room in a warm glow. He startles as he realizes that it’s his fellow sensei and that he doesn’t look comfortable. He kneels next to the other man and touches his shoulder gently, ready for the jump and shock as the blonde wakes. </p><p>“Whoa… okay, calm down. Johnny… what are you doing here?” </p><p>Johnny looks around and shakes his head. “What… Um… I don’t know. I think I got a ride.” He sits up fully and crosses his legs to keep him upright. He looks around and rubs a hand down his face. “Shit, LaRusso… what are <i>you</i> doing here?”</p><p>“I decided to move in here. You know…. There’s a bed on the other side.”</p><p>Johnny shrugs. “I don’t really know if I was looking for a bed. I just… needed to watch for anyone coming in and this was a good vantage point. I didn’t mean to fall asleep. </p><p>Daniel frowns. “Vantage point… someone threatening you or the kids?”</p><p>He shakes his head. “It’s dumb. Now that I’m more awake…. It’s really dumb.”</p><p>Daniel reaches out and squeezes Johnny’s hand, pleased that the other man didn’t pull away. “Tell me.”</p><p>Johnny bites his lower lip and nods stiffly. “It was Kreese. He… he came over and told me that he wanted me to come back to him. He said he needs me… Three generations… he kept saying that.”</p><p>Daniel nods. ‘You said something about that when you two had that fight at Cobra Kai.”</p><p>Johnny nods. “Yeah, and he did that again but I told him that he’s given me two ‘last chances’ already so… I just don’t get it.”</p><p>Daniel watches as Johnny curls in more and more on himself and he scoots over so he can place a hand on Johnny’s back. When he does, he can feel how fast the other man is breathing and he frowns. “Hey Johnny… I need you to take a few deep breaths, okay? I’m worried that you’re getting too worked up.” </p><p>Johnny does as he’s told and eventually seems to escape some of the anxiety. To Daniel’s horror, this means that another emotion comes to the surface and Johnny starts furiously wiping at his cheeks. “He said there will never be a last chance. He said he’s never going to stop until I’m where I belong.”</p><p>Daniel finds himself becoming enraged. It’s been decades and this asshole is still tormenting people who were supposed to be able to trust him. “Where you belong?”</p><p>He nods. “He kept talking about my mom, but… he kept calling her Betsy. And he said that I looked like her and that I’m his and the universe… messed up. He said when he first saw me that he could only think of how much I looked like my mother, but… he didn’t know my mom and I don’t know who Betsy is and… God, it’s so dumb. He said that ‘Johnny’ looks better on me than ‘Junior’ and that he’s glad he found me and.. It just… I’m a grown man, but he scared the hell out of me. I wanted to run and so… I ran. He said he would take everything from me until I had to come to him and be with him like I’m supposed to. He said he… he said he needs me to get her back, whoever this Betsy is. Said we had to be together. I… I don’t know what any of that means, but…”</p><p>Daniel starts rubbing Johnny’s back as he can feel the tremors start. “Okay, that sounds scary. And you were… what? Just on the floor because…”</p><p>Johnny shrugs. “Because this place has started to feel like a refuge and I kept thinking that he’d come here… that he’d take it all away so I came here to watch out for it and I couldn’t stand being alone and then being closed in so.. I stayed here with the door open just enough that I could see out. God, I’m such an idiot.”</p><p>Daniel shakes his head. “Johnny… Hey… Johnny, no. You’re not an idiot. I don’t know what his deal is, but he managed to terrify you and I’m not going to allow that. You’re not alone, okay? You were in this alone for so long, but you have me now. I’m right here with you. So I want you to get into bed and get some rest. I’ll stay here. I’ll watch over you.”</p><p>Johnny shakes his head. “You don’t have to. I’m being stupid.”</p><p>Daniel turns and holds Johnny’s face in his hands, turning the other man to face him. “Listen to me. You are <i>not</i> stupid and you can always feel safe with me. I will not let <i>anyone</i> hurt you. John Kreese has done enough damage to you for ten lifetimes. He doesn’t get past me to do any more.”</p><p>“I’ve never seen him like that. It’s like he didn’t even… see me. I don’t know where he was or what he was seeing, but I kept feeling like I was the one not seeing. It was like… like there were things all around me… terrifying things. And I couldn’t see them and I thought-“ He breaks off then as his breathing has finally gotten out of control and he begins to struggle against his fear. </p><p>Daniel pulls him close and holds him tightly to his chest. He starts rocking back and forth. “Johnny…. Please… just breathe for me. You’re safe. I’m right here and nobody is getting through me. Please Johnny…” His own breath catches as Johnny moves slightly, his nose brushing a particularly sensitive spot on Daniel’s neck and he can’t help but arch to give the other man more room. “Johnny….” He breathes out his name like a whispered prayer and shudders as the blonde replaces his nose with his lips. They’re dry and he’s not doing anything with them except rubbing them gently across the skin. </p><p>Johnny whimpers, not sure what he’s doing and not sure if this is something he wants to do or if he just wants to hide in Daniel’s embrace to escape the fear. But something about this is soothing to him and he opens his mouth slightly and breathes against the soft skin there before placing an open-mouthed pressure. Immediately, the instinct to take comfort is there and he darts his tongue out to lick and nuzzle. He whimpers again as he finds it more difficult to stay where he wants to be. </p><p>Daniel isn’t sure what’s happening, but the feeling of confusion has now led to something quite different and he can feel it in his groin. He knows that this is wrong. He knows that his goal was simply to help the other man, but he also has a horrible feeling that this is Johnny’s delirious, exhausted way of seeking out basic comfort. He hears Johnny whimper and struggle so he wraps his arms around him even more tightly and holds him close to his neck to allow Johnny to…. Suckle is the best word Daniel can think of for what’s happening right now. </p><p>Whatever it is, Daniel is almost 100 percent certain that Johnny isn’t doing this in a sexual way. It’s more instinct and Daniel finds himself becoming increasingly aware of just how much hold Kreese has over Johnny that his most basic instincts are coming to the front of his personality. He moves then and helps Johnny stand, keeping him close. “Come on. I’ve got you.” He goes over to the door. “You’re okay. I’m just going to get my bag and close the door.” He can tell how droopy Johnny’s eyes are and knows he needs to get him into bed soon. He grabs his bag and drops it right inside the door before locking the door and putting his arm around Johnny again. He leads him to the bedroom and pushes him up onto the bed. “Come on, let’s get you comfortable.” </p><p>He maneuvers the blankets aside and then starts caring for his friend, because that’s what they are, he thinks. He’s treated him as a rival, but this is a man who has been hurt so deeply that nobody has had the chance to help him heal because he hides it so damn well. Kreese is clearly far more of a madman than Daniel realized and his obsession with Johnny is taking a whole new turn in his eyes. </p><p>He gets on his knees and unlaces Johnny’s shoes and pulls them off, dropping them to the side and he does the same with his socks. He holds Johnny’s ankle in his hand and strokes his thumb softly against the inside of his foot. Johnny’s moan of appreciation is enough to set Daniel on edge again. But again, Daniel knows that it’s not sexual. Part of him is surprised to find he wants it to be, though. </p><p>He considers letting Johnny keep his pants, but knows that jeans are never fun to sleep in so he unbuttons and unzips his jeans and starts to pull them down, but then Johnny’s hands are on his own and his eyes are wide open and the horror and panic is right there in Daniel’s face. </p><p>“Please! Please no!” </p><p>Daniel leans in and shushes him, quietly reminds him that he’s safe and that he’s here with him and nobody is going to hurt him. Another whimper, a few tears, and a shuddering breath later, Johnny’s eyes drop closed again. Daniel finishes up and determines at a t-shirt and boxer briefs are more than adequate for sleeping in. He keeps his sweat pants on but takes off his shirt. He curls up next to Johnny and immediately finds the other man plastered to his side. He pulls him closer until Johnny’s face is tucked under Daniel’s chin. </p><p>Daniel realizes Johnny is rocking back and forth slightly and he gets the hint and starts rocking him as he was earlier. Johnny settles down but grips at Daniel a few times like he’s afraid of losing him. Daniel reaches up and starts stroking Johnny’s hair and Johnny whimpers again and then starts shivering and crying against Daniel’s neck. </p><p>Daniel is slightly surprised to find his own eyes are burning with unshed tears. He wonders, not for the first time tonight, what horrible lessons does a child have to learn to grow into a man who suckles for comfort and cries when he is comforted because he can only focus on the comfort being taken away. He’s frightened to think of Johnny’s reaction when he was removing his clothes and determines that is something to look into another time. For now, he just wants the blonde to rest and find some sort of peace and security, even if it’s for one night. </p><p>After all, Johnny was the person who Daniel told first about the divorce. Johnny is the person who took him out for a beer and then changed his mind and dragged Daniel back to his apartment to watch movies and drink a few shots. And he’s the man who didn’t remark on the times when Daniel would silently cry while watching a movie that had nothing tearful about it. And Johnny was the person who put his hand on Daniel’s shoulder, gave it a quick squeeze and a rub and then left it there. He didn’t make fun of him and he didn’t allow Daniel to feel alone, either. </p><p>And so Daniel pulls Johnny closer. At the absolute very least, Johnny has become a good friend. Daniel would argue that he’s become his best friend. He’s not always nice, but he’s always honest. Daniel doesn’t like some of the things Johnny says to him but he always seems to really believe he’s looking out for Daniel’s best interests. </p><p>So he holds his best friend throughout the night. And he wills his desires to the back of his mind when Johnny starts that little suckling thing that is becoming more and more endearing the more often it happens. And he rocks him back and forth when he starts to whimper. And he talks quietly to him when he starts to whine and cry as if he’s responding to a monster that lives in his nightmares. </p><p>And in the morning, he knows they’ll talk. And he knows Johnny will struggle to let someone in, to let someone help. And he knows he will have to force Johnny to face the fact that he’s important to more than just Kreese and for more reasons than just someone’s insanity. He’s important to Daniel and he’s not going to lose his best friend to anyone without one hell of a fight. Daniel only hopes that’s enough to help Johnny finally feel safe.</p>
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